August 9, 20232 yr Not dead yet:"Amtrak and Texas Central, the lead entity on building a high-speed rail network between Houston and Dallas, announced Wednesday that they are looking into a new collaboration."https://www.axios.com/local/houston/2023/08/09/houston-dallas-bullet-train-high-speed-rail
August 9, 20232 yr On 1/16/2023 at 3:23 PM, Nice Guy Eddie said: This is the most recent (October) article that I can find with new info about Texas Central Rail: https://www.texastribune.org/2022/10/27/texas-high-speed-rail-dallas-houston/ The lawyer fighting them seems to want to prove that they're not a going concern. While the rail company says they're moving forward, they're also not actively buying properties as they had planned. At some point, we need someone in the US to build a dedicated high speed line to determine the long term feasibility. Texas Central looked promising. They have purchased land and worked through the court cases and federal regulations. But then they halted. Not to get political but having a Dem President would seem to be a positive element for them. You haven't been paying attention to Florida. Brightline is operating out of Miami to Fort Lauderdale and West Palm. And next month it opens its high-speed section to Orlando. I think they're planning on extending the line to Tampa in a few years.
August 10, 20232 yr You haven't been paying attention to Florida. Brightline is operating out of Miami to Fort Lauderdale and West Palm. And next month it opens its high-speed section to Orlando. I think they're planning on extending the line to Tampa in a few years.Used it about a month ago. It’s great
March 11, 20241 yr On a train from Brussels to Hamburg right now. Would be really nice to have something similar for the major Texas cities.
March 16, 20241 yr China says "Hit" at 387 mph. Dreaming of speeds over 1200 mph. Record-smashing Chinese maglev hyperloop train hits 387 mph and could someday outpace a plane | Live Science
March 16, 20241 yr On 3/11/2024 at 11:22 AM, Dahobbs said: On a train from Brussels to Hamburg right now. Would be really nice to have something similar for the major Texas cities. Seriously. US is a third world country in mass transit
March 18, 20241 yr Quote “It’s just the natural process of really big, important projects — getting everyone on the same page as we move forward,” Morris told the Fort Worth Report. “This is our generation’s DFW Airport.” https://fortworthreport.org/2024/03/16/fort-worth-to-houston-high-speed-rail-on-track-despite-dallas-concerns/
March 18, 20241 yr On 3/16/2024 at 7:01 AM, Bevo&Pevo said: China says "Hit" at 387 mph. Dreaming of speeds over 1200 mph. Record-smashing Chinese maglev hyperloop train hits 387 mph and could someday outpace a plane | Live Science Speaking of smashing, how do they keep the deer and pigs off the tracks? Edited March 18, 20241 yr by slorch
March 18, 20241 yr 4 hours ago, Guest said: Speaking of smashing, how do they keep the deer and pigs off the tracks? Q figured that shit out for 007 decades ago...
March 19, 20241 yr Author 15 hours ago, Guest said: Speaking of smashing, how do they keep the deer and pigs off the tracks? Moats. With alligators.
March 19, 20241 yr 20 hours ago, Guest said: Speaking of smashing, how do they keep the deer and pigs off the tracks? They use high speed trains to knock them off the tracks. Works great on deer, pigs, hippies, etc…
March 19, 20241 yr Such a no-brainer to build this between Dallas and Houston, with future plans to expand to FW, Austin and SA. It effectively would bring these cities closer together in terms of time. And while individual needs might still lead some to prefer to drive or fly, it will reduce the traffic with those options. It's a win for the vast majority of Texans.
March 19, 20241 yr 6 hours ago, Nice Guy Eddie said: Such a no-brainer to build this between Dallas and Houston, with future plans to expand to FW, Austin and SA. It effectively would bring these cities closer together in terms of time. And while individual needs might still lead some to prefer to drive or fly, it will reduce the traffic with those options. It's a win for the vast majority of Texans. I think it will increase traffic congestion in cities. Unless the rail is somehow going to be elevated.
March 19, 20241 yr 26 minutes ago, Frank Drebin said: I think it will increase traffic congestion in cities. Unless the rail is somehow going to be elevated. The original plan was that all road crossing would be elevated. You can’t have vehicles crossing high speed rail lines.
March 20, 20241 yr $14B seems like a good deal in retrospect, when California is asking over $100B for theirs (lmao). 12 fucking figures
November 15, 20241 yr food for thought. we used to build like crazy in this country. look at China and how quickly they've developed their infrastructure. i truly hope in my lifetime we see Texas connected with super highspeed rail. imagine being able to connect from Houston to Dallas in under 3 hours - the economic gains would be monumental. i don't get the arguments that texas is too big, or we can't do this or that - it sounds so defeatist. it doesnt matter how large Texas or the U.S. is, we can still build, and these corridors that are too long to drive but too short to fly make it perfect for trains. the argument of profitability is nonsense - airliners are the worst industries in the world, they're all unprofitable, they're basically government-owned entities at this point but they exist because humans need transportation. Edited November 15, 20241 yr by parkavenueguy
November 15, 20241 yr I see minimal to no broad public or political support for an infrastructure project focused on a rail system in Texas. Rural Texans will oppose the land usage. Most Texans won't support any taxes for an infrastructure project. Texans like using their cars to move around inside the state. If Texas does anything infrastructure wise, I hope the state dramatically increases water reliability/availability.
November 15, 20241 yr I see minimal to no broad public or political support for an infrastructure project focused on a rail system in Texas. Rural Texans will oppose the land usage. Most Texans won't support any taxes for an infrastructure project. Texans like using their cars to move around inside the state. If Texas does anything infrastructure wise, I hope the state dramatically increases water reliability/availability. The only way that it gets built is if we can shuffle giant slugs of taxpayer dollars into the pockets of people who contribute to the gov/lt gov campaigns/personal pocketbook. You all know that.
November 15, 20241 yr 1 hour ago, Brisketexan said: The only way that it gets built is if we can shuffle giant slugs of taxpayer dollars into the pockets of people who contribute to the gov/lt gov campaigns/personal pocketbook. You all know that. In which case, I would prefer the state to do nothing.
November 15, 20241 yr 2 minutes ago, swraith said: In which case, I would prefer the state to do nothing. You won't get that, either. The current government of this state exists for one reason, and one reason only: to enrich and do the bidding of a handful of the wealthiest people on the planet. Any other function is 1) entirely coincidental, and 2) likely on the chopping block in the next legislative session or two.
November 16, 20241 yr It's been over 5 years and we're not really any closer. It's been a 17 years and tens of billions of dollars and the California rail isn't much further. We'll have self driving cars before we get a rail built
November 16, 20241 yr On 3/11/2024 at 10:22 AM, Dahobbs said: On a train from Brussels to Hamburg right now. Would be really nice to have something similar for the major Texas cities. hou to sa please !!!!!
November 16, 20241 yr Seems like doing a proof of concept between Austin and San Antonio would be a good first step.
November 16, 20241 yr High speed that isn't driven from a national level has zero chance. It just doesn't make sense. It would be like deciding on a high speed train from your house to your current place of employment (assuming you don't work at home). Would be great for a couple people and even they might want to go somewhere else sometimes. It's an air travel alternative and if it isn't it should be if we want it to work.
November 16, 20241 yr 2 hours ago, MonkeyDoughnut said: High speed that isn't driven from a national level has zero chance. It just doesn't make sense. It would be like deciding on a high speed train from your house to your current place of employment (assuming you don't work at home). Would be great for a couple people and even they might want to go somewhere else sometimes. It's an air travel alternative and if it isn't it should be if we want it to work. When my father worked in Miami, he would park a shitty old car at the station and use that to drive to the office and then drive it back to the rail station. Then he would hop back in his better car in the West Palm area and drive home. He loved the train.
November 16, 20241 yr 12 hours ago, Viper said: It's been over 5 years and we're not really any closer. It's been a 17 years and tens of billions of dollars and the California rail isn't much further. We'll have self driving cars before we get a rail built i would guess that many studies have been commissioned and paid handsomely for to firms with the correct connections. And some may even have been delivered. Making no progress isn’t free, you know.
November 17, 20241 yr The gop is against it and there is little reason for any Dem admin to help out a Texas project.
November 18, 20241 yr When my father worked in Miami, he would park a shitty old car at the station and use that to drive to the office and then drive it back to the rail station. Then he would hop back in his better car in the West Palm area and drive home. He loved the train. That yellow line or whatever it’s called is great. We use it when we visit w palm
November 18, 20241 yr 17 hours ago, Updawg said: That yellow line or whatever it’s called is great. We use it when we visit w palm Miami? "White line" seems more appropriate
August 12Aug 12 Still not dead? Quote The lead investor behind the proposed Dallas-to-Houston high-speed rail project says the plan is “shovel-ready” and could become the fastest train in the world if built, while a state lawmaker vows to continue fighting it. ‘We’re not going away’: Texas high-speed rail investor says project is shovel-ready https://share.google/EkUdLeWYmDoxw3Us5
August 12Aug 12 boondoggle noun [ C ] US informal us /ˈbuːnˌdɑː.ɡəl/ uk /ˈbuːnˌdɒɡ.əl/ Add to word list an unnecessary and expensive piece of work, especially one that is paid for by the public:
August 13Aug 13 On 8/11/2025 at 8:20 PM, WBT said: He's not going away while continuing to not build a railroad I guess He isn’t going away because he can’t find a train to catch?
August 13Aug 13 Still not dead? The lead investor behind the proposed Dallas-to-Houston high-speed rail project says the plan is “shovel-ready” and could become the fastest train in the world if built, while a state lawmaker vows to continue fighting it. Is the world really seeking faster ways to get to College Station?
August 13Aug 13 3 minutes ago, Texas Jeff said: Is the world really seeking faster ways to get to College Station? No, but shouldn’t we be encouraging faster ways to get away?
August 13Aug 13 9 hours ago, BabaYaga said: boondoggle noun [ C ] US informal us /ˈbuːnˌdɑː.ɡəl/ uk /ˈbuːnˌdɒɡ.əl/ Add to word list an unnecessary and expensive piece of work, especially one that is paid for by the public: Everywhere else in the world manages to get these things built. And riders really like them. It's fucking insane that we can't do it in the United States. But God forbid we do anything that doesn't funnel money to oil interests or automakers.
August 13Aug 13 8 hours ago, elfenix said: Everywhere else in the world manages to get these things built. And riders really like them. It's fucking insane that we can't do it in the United States. But God forbid we do anything that doesn't funnel money to oil interests or automakers. They get them built - the majority being in Japan and China, with France, Germany and Spain trailing. The biggest issue is that almost all rely on massive government subsidies and operate at a loss. There are TWO HSR lines that have fully covered both operating and construction costs. One in Japan and one in France. That's with a sample size of thousands world-wide. TWO.
August 13Aug 13 On 8/11/2025 at 7:31 PM, elfenix said: Still not dead? ‘We’re not going away’: Texas high-speed rail investor says project is shovel-ready https://share.google/EkUdLeWYmDoxw3Us5
August 13Aug 13 1 hour ago, BabaYaga said: They get them built - the majority being in Japan and China, with France, Germany and Spain trailing. The biggest issue is that almost all rely on massive government subsidies and operate at a loss. There are TWO HSR lines that have fully covered both operating and construction costs. One in Japan and one in France. That's with a sample size of thousands world-wide. TWO. let me tell you about I-45
August 13Aug 13 I’m all for metro/commuter rail as well as high speed that connects cities. My main objection is based on a lack of trust. Many countries get these things built quickly and they are marvels of engineering. In Austin we collect the money through taxes and have almost nothing to show for it. It’s been difficult to get an answer on where the money is going for the expanded metro rail in Austin. You know the one that was advertised as 386 new lines that’s down to 1 new one starting in 2045? How is it possible that other countries pull this off routinely and we can’t?
August 13Aug 13 2 hours ago, BabaYaga said: The biggest issue is that almost all rely on massive government subsidies and operate at a loss. Honestly, shouldn't governments be putting up for large socialized costs that grant a large socialized benefit? That's kind of the point of a functional society Edited August 13Aug 13 by Captainant missing a letter
August 13Aug 13 21 minutes ago, Captainant said: Honestly, shouldn't governments be putting up for large socialized costs that grant a large socialized benefit? That kind of the point of a functional society Do bridges operate at a profit/pay for themselves? Residential streets? What about streetlights, sewers all that good shit. Goddam socialists. Edited August 13Aug 13 by TwiceHorn
August 14Aug 14 On 8/13/2025 at 7:40 AM, BabaYaga said: They get them built - the majority being in Japan and China, with France, Germany and Spain trailing. The biggest issue is that almost all rely on massive government subsidies and operate at a loss. There are TWO HSR lines that have fully covered both operating and construction costs. One in Japan and one in France. That's with a sample size of thousands world-wide. TWO. Remind me again, how many roads make money and aren't subsidized by taxpayers?
August 14Aug 14 1 minute ago, Bolero88 said: Remind me again, how many roads make money and aren't subsidized by taxpayers? You hung up on subsidies or the amount of subsidies? For example, total US subsidies for federal and state highways across the country are around $200B. Just the single Merced to Bakersfield segment of the rail is projected to be between $30B-$35B. Rail won't come close to covering similar distances, but when you look at coverage areas, the construction and operating costs are enormous. Again, there are only two worldwide that break even. That's over thousands of high-speed rail lines.
August 14Aug 14 15 minutes ago, BabaYaga said: You hung up on subsidies or the amount of subsidies? For example, total US subsidies for federal and state highways across the country are around $200B. Just the single Merced to Bakersfield segment of the rail is projected to be between $30B-$35B. Rail won't come close to covering similar distances, but when you look at coverage areas, the construction and operating costs are enormous. Again, there are only two worldwide that break even. That's over thousands of high-speed rail lines. How many federally or state controlled roads break even? Airports also seem to require a lot of tax dollars to operate. Why is rail held to a standard that other modes of transportation are counted as a common good?
August 14Aug 14 On 8/13/2025 at 7:40 AM, BabaYaga said: The biggest issue is that almost all rely on massive government subsidies and operate at a loss. So?
August 14Aug 14 1 hour ago, Nice Guy Eddie said: How many federally or state controlled roads break even? Airports also seem to require a lot of tax dollars to operate. Why is rail held to a standard that other modes of transportation are counted as a common good? Maybe because our entire national infrastructure was originally designed on roads and air travel? They aren't going away. So we're already pouring subsidies into those, and now you want to overlay an exponentially more expensive option that has shown time and time again to have cost overrides that are orders of magnitude above forecasts to carve out routes that are often hundred +/- miles. See earlier example. Merced to Bakersfield. 169 miles that costs almost a 5th of what it takes to operate our entire national highway system.
August 14Aug 14 1 hour ago, BabaYaga said: Maybe because our entire national infrastructure was originally designed on roads and air travel? They aren't going away. So we're already pouring subsidies into those, and now you want to overlay an exponentially more expensive option that has shown time and time again to have cost overrides that are orders of magnitude above forecasts to carve out routes that are often hundred +/- miles. See earlier example. Merced to Bakersfield. 169 miles that costs almost a 5th of what it takes to operate our entire national highway system. They built airports in 1783? News to me.
August 14Aug 14 42 minutes ago, Bolero88 said: They built airports in 1783? News to me. Bless your heart....
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